FCP X: Create Chapter Markers

[ There are more than twenty significant new features in the 10.0.6 update to Final Cut Pro X. This article looks at one of them. Check out our latest training covering the Final Cut Pro X 10.0.6 update here ]

Chapter markers may not seem like a big thing, but Apple brought joy to a lot of hearts when it added them back to Final Cut with this release.

A chapter marker is a special kind of marker that is used to help viewers quickly navigate within a lengthy project. Chapter markers travel with the exported file and can be viewed when the movie is compressed for a DVD, or displayed to the web, or played in QuickTime.

Setting them in Final Cut Pro X is easy – as long as you have version 10.0.6 or later. Here’s how:

Open a project into the Timeline and put the skimmer where you want to place the Chapter marker. (If skimming is turned off, the position of the playhead is used instead.)

Type M, then type M a second time to open the Edit Marker dialog box.

By default, Chapter markers are named “Chapter” followed by a number. However, I generally rename my markers to indicate the subject of that particular section of the video. In this example, I’m renaming the marker to “Jump Mountain”.

Renaming a marker is not required, but I find it helpful, especially for DVDs

There are three types of markers:

• Standard markers
• To-do markers
• Chapter markers

NOTE: Only Chapter Markers export with the file. Click the far right marker icon at the top to set a chapter marker.

Chapter markers are indicated with the color orange and two icons: the marker and a poster frame pin. By default, the poster frame, that is, the image that’s associated with the marker, defaults to the frame the marker is on. However, you can change the marker’s poster frame by dragging the pin. This allows you to select a more representative poster frame for the marker.

Not all applications support poster frames, for instance, DVDs do not. However, for QuickTime movies, this gives you a greater range for selecting exactly the right image for your marker.

NOTE: Only Chapter Markers have pins that allow you to select poster frames.

Once a marker is created, you can change it by right-clicking the marker and selecting the marker type you want to use. To delete a marker, select Delete.

When you export your project, be sure the Include chapter markers checkbox is checked. In this example, exporting a master file, this is checked by default.

In QuickTime 7, you can see a list of all markers by clicking the marker name in the lower right corner of the window, next to the end of the Timeline.

In QuickTime Player X, click the Four Squares icon…

… to display a list of all markers associated with that movie.

The nice thing about chapter markers is that they will travel with a file even after it’s compressed. I use these markers all the time for DVDs or my H.264 training movies that are available for download or streaming.

It is REALLY nice to see these return to Final Cut Pro.

 

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